Not every manager has the desired impact when taking charge of a Premier League team.
For every Pep Guardiola there is a Slavisa Jokanovic, for every Sir Alex Ferguson, a Jan Siewert. Some managers just can’t cut it in the Premier League.
With all that in mind, we’ve taken a look at the managers to take charge of 25 or more games in the Premier League with the worst win percentages. There are some familiar faces.
10. Iain Dowie
- Clubs: Crystal Palace, Charlton, Hull
- Win percentage: 16.9%
The sight of Iain Dowie on the sidelines with an ear piece is enough to give even the most ardent Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic fans cold sweats.
Both sides struggled under the watchful eye of the former Northern Ireland international with the Eagles winning only seven of 38 matches during his only full Premier League season as a manager. Overall, Dowie mustered just a 16.9% win rate during his Premier League managerial career across three clubs.
9. Mauricio Pellegrino
- Club: Southampton
- Win percentage: 16.7%
Southampton tried desperately to bring in a manager to replicate the exploits of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman. They must have felt they’d struck gold with the appointment of Mauricio Pellegrino in 2017 following a commendable season with Alaves.
However, Pellegrino was relieved of his duties by March 2018 having won only five of 30 matches with the club mired in a relegation dogfight. Losing Virgil van Dijk halfway through the season didn’t help the Argentine, but neither did winning just one of 17 Premier League games prior to his dismissal!
8. Micky Adams
- Clubs: Nottingham Forest, Leicester
- Win percentage: 16.3%
Having overseen Leicester City’s promotion to the Premier League in 2002-03, Micky Adams will have hoped to make an impact for the Foxes in his first and only top-flight campaign. Leicester, though, endured a disappointing season.
Indeed, Adams oversaw just six wins in the 2003-04 season. And while they lost fewer games (17) than the likes of Tottenham Hotspur (19) and Blackburn Rovers (18), two teams that beat the drop, Leicester’s inability to turn one point into three proved their downfall. Adams did also lose his only game as caretaker manager for Nottingham Forest in 1999.
7. Rob Edwards
- Club: Luton
- Win percentage: 15.8%
Rob Edwards did well to mastermind Luton Town’s promotion for the 2023-24 Premier League season. However, the step up in quality proved a bridge to far for the Hatters and Edwards.
Luton claimed some commendable results in their one and only Premier league season to date, including notable home wins over Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Brighton and Bournemouth. But it was a bridge too far for club and manager, who managed just a 15.8% win rate. Now in charge of Championship leaders Middlesbrough, the 42-year-old may yet return for a second stab at England’s top tier.
6. Aitor Karanka
- Club: Middlesbrough
- Win percentage: 14.8%
Having suffered playoff heartbreak in 2014-15, Middlesbrough went one better the following season as they secured promotion from the Championship, finishing second to Burnley. However, Boro’s return to the Premier League proved an unmitigated disaster under Aitor Karanka.
The Spaniard, who earned plenty of goodwill for navigating Boro back to England’s top tier, oversaw just four wins in his 27 games in charge before Steve Agnew was placed in caretaker charge in March. Middlesbrough would end up relegated with 28 points having scored just 27 goals.
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5. Daniel Farke
- Clubs: Norwich, Leeds
- Win percentage: 13.5%
The only current Premier League manager to feature in this rundown, Daniel Farke had two chances with Norwich in England’s top tier, yet struggled with the demands of Premier League football. Having lasted the full 2019-20 campaign, the Canaries board trusted the German to take the club back up at the first time of asking, which Farke, to his credit, achieved.
However, the 48-year-old lasted just 11 games before his Carrow Road dismissal in 2021. That said, he’s made a credible start to his third stab at Premier League management, taking four points from the opening three games.
4. Aidy Boothroyd
- Club: Watford
- Win percentage: 13.2%
Aidy Boothroyd’s sole Premier League season was one to forget. Boothroyd was previously regarded as one of the best young managers in the game, and he was appointed at Watford in 2005 at the age of 34. He steered the Hornets clear of relegation, and took the club to the Premier League the following year.
Boothroyd, though, struggled with the rigours of English top flight football, watching on as his Watford side finished bottom of the 2006-07 Premier League table. He oversaw five wins and 20 defeats across 38 matches.
3. Vincent Kompany
- Club: Burnley
- Win percentage: 13.2%
A prime example of a manager falling up. Vincent Kompany completely transformed the mentality of Burnley following his appointment in 2022, with the Belgian implementing an eye-catching style of play. Kompany maintained that mentality in his one and only Premier League season to date, which showed up the Clarets.
The former Manchester City centre-back masterminded just five league wins in his 38 games at the Turf Moor helm in 2023-24, with Burnley relegated with just 24 points to their name. Even so, Bayern Munich saw enough to bring Kompany to Germany as he comes into his third season at the Allianz Arena helm.
2. John Gorman
- Club: Swindon
- Win percentage: 11.9%
John Gorman lasted just one full season in charge of Swindon as he oversaw the 1993-94 campaign at the County Ground. The Robins endured a season to forget as they won only five of 42 league matches, their first of which didn’t come until November.
Gorman took on a handful of more roles during his managerial career, which included a commendable stint as Wycombe head coach, but a 11.9% win rate proved the second worst in Premier League history.
1. Kieran McKenna
- Club: Ipswich
- Win percentage: 10.5%
Kieran McKenna has his admirers across a number of Premier League big hitters, yet his first season in England’s top tier highlighted his inexperience. Having previously been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United, McKenna remained loyal to Ipswich last summer.
And while the Tractor Boys will have been thrilled at their return to the English top flight for the first time in over 20 years, supporters could only watch on as McKenna managed just four wins in the 2024-25 season, and just one in 2025. The 39-year-old is still highly regarded, yet boasts the worst win rate (10.5%) in Premier League history.